Trump's Social Media Legacy Lives On Through His Former Officials

Trump's Media Technology Group Teams Up with Far-Right Figures to Challenge Big Tech

In a move that's raising eyebrows across the political spectrum, former President Donald Trump's media technology group, Truth Social, has partnered with a group of far-right figures to challenge the dominance of Big Tech.

The partnership, announced last week, brings together Trump's Truth Social with the Media Research Center (MRC), a conservative think tank founded by Brent Bozell, and the America First Policy Institute (AFPI), a group founded by Kash Patel, a former Trump administration official.

The three organizations are teaming up to develop a new social media platform that will allegedly prioritize free speech and challenge the perceived bias of Big Tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google.

Joining the partnership are a number of high-profile figures with ties to Trump's political operation, including Pam Bondi, the former Attorney General of Florida, and Linda McMahon, the former head of the Small Business Administration.

The partnership has drawn criticism from many in the tech and media communities, who see it as an attempt to create a platform that will amplify right-wing voices and spread misinformation.

"This is exactly the kind of thing that we should be worried about," said Caroline Orr, a cybersecurity expert and former Army intelligence officer. "We're talking about a platform that's being built by people who have a clear agenda to spread misinformation and undermine our democracy."

The partnership has also raised concerns about the potential for Truth Social to become a hub for conspiracy theories and misinformation.

"This is a recipe for disaster," said Norm Ornstein, a senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute. "You're taking a bunch of people who are already prone to spreading misinformation and giving them the tools to spread it even further. It's a threat to our democracy."

Despite the criticism, the partnership's leaders are touting the new platform as a way to give users more control over their online experience and to challenge the dominance of Big Tech.

"This is a major step forward for free speech and for giving people the tools they need to take back control of their online lives," said Kash Patel, the founder of AFPI. "We're not trying to create a platform that's going to be a echo chamber for one particular ideology. We're trying to create a platform that's going to be a place where people can have real conversations and share their ideas without fear of being censored."

The new platform is expected to launch later this year, although details about its features and functionality have not been released.